Louise Elliot’s push for Crowther statue defeated without debate

It took mere minutes for elected members to reject a push to reopen debate around a controversial Hobart statue. HOW THEY VOTED >>

William Crowther statue at Franklin Square, Hobart. Picture Chris Kidd

A Hobart City councillor’s attempt to reopen discussion around the statue of William Crowther has been defeated, with councillors voting down her motion without debate.

Cr Louise Elliot sought to question the facts around Crowther’s misdeeds by holding information sessions for community members to hear “different views” on the events which transpired.

It’s a motion which came as the Hobart City Council continues the process to remove the bronze part of the statue, leaving the plinth behind, following a vote in August.

The statue is being removed from Hobart’s Franklin Square after years of Hobart’s Aboriginal community calling for it to be taken down.

It’s because Crowther mutilated the body of Aboriginal man William Lanne, stole his skull and sent it to the Royal College of Surgeons in London, and act he was subsequently suspended for in 1869.

City of Hobart Councillors, Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds, Deputy Lord Mayor Helen Burnet, Marti Zucco, Bill Harvey, Simon Behrakis, Mike Dutta, Zelinda Sherlock, Ben Lohberger, Ryan Posselt, Louise Bloomfield, Louise Elliot, John Kelly. Picture: Chris Kidd

“We all know removal of the statue will set a massive precedent … The council must have absolute clarity on the reason why the statue is being removed,” Ms Elliot said on Monday.

Ms Elliot claimed to have heard evidence Crowther was not responsible for the mutilation.

“Do you not believe one is innocent until proven guilty?” she said.

As Ms Elliot asserted the possibility of Crowther’s innocence, she also appeared to attempt to justify the removal of Mr Lanne’s bones.

“Did you convince yourself it was because Dr Crowther sought the bones of Aboriginal people? If this is the case, we’ll be removing statues, changing names, demolishing buildings at the rate of knots,” she said.

“However shocked we are by this now, it was common practice then.

“This was a time of great scientific investigation as Darwin’s theory of evolution was being explored.”

Elected members did not go into debate and went straight to a vote, promptly rejecting Ms Elliot’s motion.

How elected members voted:

For

Louise Elliot

Marti Zucco

Simon Behrakis

Against

Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds

Deputy Lord Mayor Helen Burnet

Zelinda Sherlock

Ryan Posselt

Ben Lohberger

Louise Bloomfield

John Kelly

Mike Dutta

Bill Harvey

Councillor slammed as ‘denier of facts’ over statue

A Hobart City councillor has been likened to Pauline Hanson as she prepares to bring on a motion which questions the facts around William Crowther’s mutilation of the body of Aboriginal man William Lanne.

Louise Elliot, who claimed she’d heard evidence Crowther was innocent, plans to move the motion at Monday’s council meeting, which seeks to question the facts around Crowther’s misdeeds.

She also wants information sessions to be held so community members can hear “different views” about what happened.

Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania chairman Michael Mansell slammed the push.

“Louise Elliot is a denier of historical fact,” Mr Mansell said.

Michael Mansell Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre in Launceston. Picture Rob Burnett

“Presumably she would also deny the holocaust, would deny the Aboriginal people were slaughtered around Tasmania because she personally hasn’t seen evidence of it.

“In the face of proven facts, they want to put their heads in the sand and ask other people to believe historical facts never occurred.

“As Winston Churchill said, if we don’t learn from the mistakes of the past, we are likely to repeat them.”

Ms Elliot’s motion comes as the Hobart City Council continues taking steps to remove the bronze part of the statue, after a vote in August.

The council is yet to lodge a development application to remove the monument.

“If she’s so concerned about the statue there’s nothing wrong with the statue being put in her backyard and she can admire it everyday and pay homage to this racist necrophiliac,” Mr Mansell said.

Sign placed at the William Crowther statue in Franklin Square Hobart in August, 2022. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Mr Mansell believed Ms Elliot’s words were politically motivated.

“Evidently for her own political agenda,” Mr Mansell said.

“I think she’s trying to hold out for an extreme right wing vote for herself in the future, along the lines of Pauline Hanson.”

Mr Mansell said it wasn’t hard to find the truth on the matter.

“If she bothered to simply open up Google, she could come across respected articles, such as of Stefan Petrow in 1997, where he cites all of the newspaper articles, statements by respected members of the medical profession at the time, and cites all his sources,” Mr Mansell said.

Mr Mansell hoped the council would shoot down the motion on Monday.

“The councillors have done the right thing so far, there are some extreme elements on the Hobart City Council who will always vote against anything pro-aboriginal, the majority of the council should get on with it,” he said.

“The quicker the statue is removed, the better for everyone concerned.”

Councillor claims Crowther was innocent

Debate around the Franklin Square statue of disgraced former premier William Crowther is set to be reignited at the next Hobart City Council meeting as an outspoken councillor seeks to change the narrative around the monument.

The statue has been the subject of controversy because the former premier stole the skull of Aboriginal man William Lanne, and sent it to the Royal College of Surgeons in London.

It was an act he was suspended for in 1869.

After a year-long art project to spark conversation about the statue, the council voted to remove the statue in August last year, leaving the plinth behind.

More than six months on from the historic vote, the council is yet to lodge a development application, which will need to be approved prior to the statue being removed.

A new permanent home is yet to be decided, but in the short term, it will go to the Hobart City’s valuables collection.

The council recently released an addendum for public consultation as it continues the process to be able to remove the statue.

But one councillor says she’s frustrated as the council pushes ahead with what elected members voted in favour of in August.

Louise Elliot, who was elected after the decision was made to remove the statue, said the addendum played down the significance of the statue.

City of Hobart Councillor Louise Elliot. Picture: Chris Kidd

“In 2012, the statue was deemed to be of high significance. This new report says the opposite, that it detracts from Franklin Square,” she said.

Ms Elliot, who claims reports of Crowther’s mutilation of Lanne is false, says she will move a motion at the next Hobart City Council meeting.

Her motion seeks to question the narrative around Crowther’s misdeeds.

“The Council needs to be crystal clear on the exact reasons why the statute is removed and provide the primary sources,” she said.

“This is an important line that needs to be drawn carefully. I don’t want names being changed, monuments torn down or buildings demolished.”

Ms Elliot is calling for public information sessions for the community to hear “different views” about what happened.

The council will meet on March 20.